Competition: EU (Foreign Expertise) | Global

Gerhard Fussenegger is based in the Brussels office of bpv Huegel and assists clients with merger control and FDI filings involving Austria.

Richard Blewett is adept in advising clients on cross-jurisdictional merger clearance mandates, including acting on FDI and FSR filings. He is well positioned to advise clients on investigations carried out by the European Commission. He previously served as head of the firm's China Antitrust Practice.

Admitted to practice in France and Belgium, Charlotte Breuvart

is based in the Brussels office of Jones Day. With her insight into the French market, she often advises energy sector clients on merger approval proceedings and antitrust investigations before both the European Commission and the French Competition Authority.

Damien Geradin stands out for his pioneering expertise in digital market mandates. He acts for an impressive list of telecoms, media and IT sector on claims of abuse of dominance, often representing the claimants. He is active in matters before both the EC and the UK's competition authorities.

The French law-qualified Jean-Nicolas Maillard is based in the Brussels office of Norton Rose Fulbright, having joined the firm in July 2025. He has notable experience in assisting clients with cartel investigations by the French competition authority.

Based in Brussels, Stéphane Hautbourg is noted for his ability to handle both behavioural investigations and merger control filings before the French Competition Authorities.

Alexander Israel of Morrison Foerster is admitted to practice in Germany and Brussels. He advises on behavioural investigations before both the EC and FCO. He has a number of clients from the transport sector. He also represents clients in complaints to the German regulator alleging abuse of dominance.

Andreas von Bonin skilfully handles major state aid litigation on behalf of beneficiary companies. He is held out as a high-profile figure in the state aid space, advising prominent European clients on state aid issues with standout experience in the energy markets sector.

Based in Brussels and admitted to the bar in Germany, Anne Federle acts for clients on competition investigations before both the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office. She is also often involved assisting associations with competition compliance issues. She has further experience in merger control filings and FSR notifications.

Axel Gutermuth is German-qualified lawyer who is based in Brussels and assists with merger filings to the Bundeskartellamt and European Commission. He has further experience in antitrust investigations and compliance queries. He is popular with clients from the technology industry.

Bernd Meyring heads the firm's global antitrust and foreign investment group and is admitted to practice in Germany and in Belgium. He is known for his work on behalf of third-party interveners in abuse of dominance cases and for assisting clients in appealing European Commission decisions. He also assists with merger and FDI filings. He is particularly popular with clients in the technology sector.

Christian Filippitsch has notable experience acting on the defendant side of EC abuse of dominance investigations, as well as representing clients in appeals against authority decisions. He also regularly advises on multi-jurisdictional merger filings that include EC notifications. He is admitted to practice in Germany and additionally assists with national merger control and FDI filings before the German authorities.

Christian von Köckritz is based in the firm's Brussels office and has notable experience advising clients on FCO investigations into allegations of price fixing and abuse of dominance. In addition, he defends clients in follow-on damages claims.

Brussels-based Christoph Wilken enters the rankings this year on the back of notable activity in assisting clients with merger control filings before the FCO. He has further experience in representing clients in behavioural investigations in Germany and appeals against authority decisions.

Clemens York von Wartenburg is dual qualified in Germany and Brussels and has a well-established practice spanning across behavioural and transactional mandates, including investigations before the European Commission and German Federal Cartel Office, including in the technology sector. He additionally regularly oversees FDI screening processes and follow-on damages actions.

Falk Schöning has extensive experience handling complex global merger and FDI filings before the European Commission and, due to his dual-qualification, also before the German Federal Cartel Office. He is also adept at assisting with investigations into allegations of anti-competitive agreements.

The German-law qualified Frank Montag has a well-established reputation as a highly experienced Brussels-based competition lawyer. He is a sought-after adviser to well-known German companies and is best known for his merger control work, including post-merger investigations before the German authorities and FDI filings. He offers additional experience in EC behavioural investigations.

Jens Peter Schmidt co-heads the Noerr Brussels office and is also admitted to practice in Germany. He advises on mergers that trigger filings to the EC or the German regulators, including those that require supporting FDI notifications. He has further experience in cartel investigations.

Markus Röhrig is admitted to practice in Germany and in Brussels, and he has experience in merger filings before both the EC and the Bundeskartellamt. He also assists clients with appeals against authority decisions.

German-qualified Michael Bauer is based in the Brussels office of CMS and defends clients in allegations of abuse of market power before the German authorities, as well as advising on state aid matters involving Germany.

Michael Rosenthal heads Sullivan & Cromwell's competition team and leads sophisticated merger control and behavioural matters that involve interaction with the EC. Standout mandates include his defence of clients in EC behavioural investigations into alleged cartel activities. Splitting his time between the firm's offices in Belgium and Germany, he also has notable experience assisting clients with notifying mergers before the German authorities.

Brussels-based Philipp Werner is also German-qualified and has proven experience in the defence of investigations carried out by the German Bundeskartellamt and the European Commission. He additionally represents clients in merger control filings.

Stephanie Birmanns leads the Brussels office of SZA Schilling, Zutt & Anschütz and has a strong focus on assisting clients with FDI and merger control reviews before the German authorities. She also advises clients on behavioural investigations before the FCO and competition compliance issues.

Admitted to the German Bar, Sven Völcker is often identified as a high-profile individual in Brussels handling top-end merger clearance cases that necessitate significant interaction with the EC, including his involvement in phase II investigations. He has further experience handling merger notifications to the German FCO. He also represents clients in appeals against authority decisions.

Thomas Wessely is based in Brussels and is also qualified to practise in Germany. He attracts particular praise for his activity in high-value cross-border transactions in the telecoms sector and has additional experience representing clients in requests to review merger commitments.

Ulrich Soltész is a leading lawyer in the state aid field, and as a German-qualified lawyer he regularly represents German companies and public bodies in connection to EC state aid investigations. In addition to his contentious state aid work, Ulrich Soltész represents clients in behavioural investigations before the EC and FCO, and advises on merger control filings.

Assimakis Komninos moves up in the rankings on the back of handling impressive mandates for high-profile clients from the technology and FMCG sectors. He represents companies in EC behavioural investigations and related CJEU appeals. He is also admitted to the Athens Bar and often handles mandates that involve interaction with the Hellenic Competition Commission.

Annamaria Mangiaracina counts large multinationals among her client list, for which she advises on cross-border merger control and FDI filings before the European Commission and other national authorities, including - as an Italian-qualified lawyer - the ICA. Her practice extends to appeals against merger control decisions.

Denis Fosselard assists clients with EC merger notifications, the filing of complaints of abuse of dominance and appeals of cartel decisions. He is particularly active for clients hailing from the telecommunications and other regulated industries. Denis Fosselard is also Italian law-qualified and advises on merger clearance and FDI notifications to the Italian competition authority.

Francesco Maria Salerno is admitted to practice in both Italy and Brussels and is the managing partner of Gianni & Origoni's Brussels office. He exhibits a focus on complex state aid matters. He is particularly active advising Italian clients, providing advice on state aid notifications.

Mario Todino has notable experience in EU merger control mandates involving transport and energy sector clients. He is also admitted to practice in Italy and has a strong reputation for advising on behavioural investigations and merger control proceedings undertaken by the Italian competition authority.

Massimo Merola of BonelliErede has a longstanding reputation as one of the top choices for complex state aid matters. He acts for beneficiary companies or their representative bodies on EC state aid investigations, on EGC appeals or on their role in the notification of new state aid measures. Massimo Merola is also central to the firm's wider EU competition practice, assisting clients with merger clearance notifications. He is admitted to practice in Italy and often advises Italian clients on state aid matters and merger control filings before the Italian authorities.

Herbert Smith Freehills' managing partner of global competition, regulation and trade, Kyriakos Fountoukakos has notable experience in merger control filings made in support of a wide variety of cross-border M&A and JV transactions, notifying prominent deals before the EC as well as coordinating FDI filings across jurisdictions. He additionally represents clients in antitrust investigations. He also manages the firm's cross-border Japanese competition practice.

Edmon Oude Elferink heads the Dutch antitrust practice at CMS. He has a strong focus on assisting clients with obtaining merger and FDI clearance from the Dutch authorities, as well as representing clients in follow-on damages actions and challenges to ACM decisions. He has further experience in state aid mandates and queries concerning franchise agreements in the Netherlands.

Dutch-qualified Gerrit Oosterhuis often assists clients with notifying mergers and joint ventures before the Dutch competition authorities. He also has experience in foreign direct investment issues and unfair competition law complaints.

Greetje van Heezik is based admitted to the Dutch Bar. She has a strong focus on European law issues and also represents clients before Dutch authorities in disputes concerning alleged competition law infringements.

Admitted to the Bar in both Amsterdam and Brussels, Maarten Meulenbelt enters the rankings this year on the back of his experience representing clients before the Dutch courts in challenges to ACM decisions.

Dividing his time between AKD's offices in Brussels and Amsterdam, Pieter Kuypers frequently represents clients in private enforcement actions before the Dutch courts, and in challenges to ACM decisions.

Katarzyna Czapracka draws upon her expertise to assist clients in the TMT and natural resources industries with merger clearance proceedings. She is also qualified in Poland and often assists with Polish merger control filings.

Alfonso Lamadrid demonstrates impressive work highlights representing high-profile clients from the technology sector before both the European Commission and the CNMC. He has experience in standout cases seeking the annulment of EC fines imposed against IT companies for abuse of dominance. Alfonso Lamadrid additionally exhibits high levels of activity on seminal state aid matters, where he has successfully represented clients in appealing EC state aid decisions before the EGC. He joined Latham & Watkins in May 2025.

Héctor Armengod has handled market-leading transactions, including those with contentious elements and foreign direct investment filings.

Spanish-qualified Miguel Troncoso Ferrer has a practice which specialises in appeals against CNMC decisions and merger clearance mandates before the Spanish Competition authorities.

Anna Lyle-Smythe acts as head of the Slaughter and May Brussels office. She frequently draws upon her skill to assist clients from a broad range of sectors, including technology and aviation. She is admitted to practice both in the UK and in Brussels, and she often advises on merger control filings made to the CMA or to the EC. She has further experience acting for clients on cartel and abuse of dominance investigations, and in appeals against authority decisions.

Bill Batchelor has standout experience in merger clearance matters and often assists clients in the technology sector with challenging decisions under the EU's novel Digital Markets Act. He has further expertise representing clients in cartel investigations. He is admitted to the Bar in Brussels, as well as England and Wales, where he regularly assists with interactions with the CMA.

Jordan Ellison is a Brussels-based, English law-qualified lawyer who stands out for his work representing clients in antitrust investigations particularly in the TMT and FMCG sectors.

Kerry O’Connell boasts a solid practice advising clients on merger clearance proceedings before the European Commission, including phase II proceedings.

Richard Pepper is admitted to the Bar in England and Wales. He joined the Brussels office of Paul, Weiss in the autumn of 2024. He has notable experience assisting clients with merger control filings before the CMA.

Highlight matters for Trevor Soames include his advice on the complainant side of EC abuse of dominance cases in the IT sector. He also represents clients in appeals against previous decisions, while his status as a member of the English Bar and as a solicitor-advocate enables him to handle competition litigation before UK courts.